In May, Brian King was named head of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. King is not known for his support for e-cigarettes or risk-reducing alternatives to cigarettes. But after a few months on the job, he has a clearer picture of how he envisions the future of nicotine regulation in media and conference tours.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, King was asked if surveys show most people think e-cigarettes are just as dangerous as traditional cigarettes, and whether that's an issue.

"I am fully aware that there are misunderstandings that are inconsistent with known science," King replied. "We do know that e-cigarettes -- as a general category -- are significantly less risky than combustible cigarette products." King went on to say that communication campaigns must use science and evidence, and be careful to avoid unintended consequences.

Earlier this year, Clive Bates, a tobacco harm reduction advocate and former head of the anti-smoking charity Action for Smoking and Health, called the public's misconception about vaping an American crime scene. Bates cited the 2020 National Trends in Health Information Survey, which showed that only 2.6 percent of Americans accurately believe that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than combustible cigarettes.

Harm-reduction advocates such as Bates argue that these misconceptions about the risks of vaping have discouraged many smokers from switching to safer products and led to a string of poor public policy decisions. These include banning non-tobacco flavors in e-cigarettes, limiting nicotine levels, and taxes that make e-cigarettes as expensive as cigarettes.

King acknowledges that much of the public's perception of the known science is wrong, and that we know that e-cigarettes - as a general category - are significantly less risky than combustible cigarette products, which is more direct FDA than anything you can find 's website.

"Many studies suggest that e-cigarettes and non-combustible tobacco products may be less harmful than combustible cigarettes," reads the FDA's homepage on e-cigarettes. "However, there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that e-cigarettes and other ENDS [electronic nicotine delivery systems] are effective tools for smoking cessation."

After King's statement on Monday, many expected more details in his speech two days later at the Global Forum on Tobacco and Nicotine (GTNF), an annual conference that bills itself as a global exchange of views and ideas among public health experts. , government representatives, industry and investors. The sponsors of the conference and most of the attendees are from the tobacco and vaping industry.

Those hoping to expand on King's comments to the AP were disappointed. King told attendees that he believes in the continuum of risks from nicotine products. The idea is that combustible cigarettes are the most dangerous form of nicotine consumption and nicotine replacement therapy is the safest. On the safer end are products such as e-cigarettes, which provide smokers with a satisfying nicotine product, but without the smoke that could potentially kill them.

But King did not address public misconceptions about the relative risks of vaping. Instead, King emphasized that the FDA rejected more than 99 percent of applications for e-cigarettes to remain on the market, and that e-cigarettes still pose a danger to young people.

When asked if the FDA would devote any resources to correcting misconceptions about e-cigarettes, King simply replied that I can't commit to any specific action.

When asked for further comment, an FDA spokesperson responded: "The FDA continues to explore how best to communicate with the public about the risks associated with tobacco products. We cannot comment or commit to any specific action at this time. However, we do note that the development and implementation of public health education campaigns must be evidence-based to best achieve the desired effect on the target population while minimizing adverse effects on the entire population.

In other words, the FDA has no plans to correct any widespread misinformation about e-cigarettes anytime soon. If you want to understand the real risks of vaping vs combustible cigarettes, you must seek help from the UK government.

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